"I am a writer becauseI am a Southerner. Southerners raise their young on stories as lush and intricate as a live oak canopy dripping Spanish moss. As far back as I can remember, I heard tales told: on the front porch, where the wisteria hung like clumps of grapes and the rockers squeaked slow; under the pecan tree, as we all shelled peas and churned fresh peach ice cream..."